


putting all my skill points into poison making (and other wise decisions by small abominations)

by rainglazed



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Dragon Age AU, Gen, Implied Harm to Children, Possession, all the warnings that come with chara in general, all the warnings that come with the circle system in general, mage!Chara, spirit!Frisk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2016-01-12
Packaged: 2018-05-13 10:51:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5704909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainglazed/pseuds/rainglazed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>I don’t like it when you call yourself that.  </i>
</p><p>  <i>“Mage.  Possessed.  Using my unholy powers to corrupt one of the Maker’s first children.” Chara ticked the list off on their calloused fingers.  “I don’t know, sounds awfully like the tome definition of ‘abomination’ to me.”</i></p><p> </p><p>Or, Chara gets possessed by a spirit of Mercy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	putting all my skill points into poison making (and other wise decisions by small abominations)

Chara’s feet pounded the hard earth as they ran deeper into the hinterlands.  Fucking Circle, fucking Redcliffe, crawling with Chantry clergy and their watchful templars.  Why the hell had they thought going there was a good idea? 

 _Chara, please, your feet,_ the voice in their head pleaded. 

Oh.  Blood.  Chara gave a mental half shrug even as they left the travelers path to scramble deeper into the forest.  They were boxed in by the rocky mountain slopes, but if they could just find an opening, a crevice, a cave, _anything_ to get out of this blasted ravine. 

_Chara, please._

“No time, if the templars catch me I’ll be dead anyway.  Wooo, blood magic, shackles, irons, tranquility,” Chara said with a little wriggle of their fingers. 

_But you didn’t—_

“Do you think they’ll care?  Now shut up or help.” 

The ravine was only getting narrower and narrower and they couldn’t find a way out they were trapped _trapped—_

_The waterfall._

There, a tiny stream hidden behind a crumbling farmhouse.  Chara made a bee line for it, feet stinging as they waded through the icy water to where the water leaped over broken basalt columns. 

It was a slippery climb, but their companion was mercifully quiet as Chara concentrated on getting to the top.  Finally they crawled over the edge and waded to the bank to flop blissfully down on the dry grass, robes soaking and utterly filthy. 

“We’ll have to get new clothes if we want to try going into a town again.  Maybe something that doesn’t scream ‘mage!’ this time,” Chara remarked.  “Can’t really say I’m eager to.  So what did you think Frisk, was humanity everything it cracked up to be?” 

There was a beat of silence.  Then: 

_What’s that?_

Chara blinked, and realized what they were looking up at.  “That’s elfroot, dumbass.  I must’ve picked it hundreds of times.” 

_And that?_

“Embrium.  Pretty, but it makes me sneeze.” 

_And that?_

“Uh, lotus?  Black, I think.  Frisk, what’s the point?” 

_And that?_

“That’s not even anything useful, that’s just a water sausage!  Come on, what are you trying to do?” 

 _You know so many things,_ Frisk said wistfully.  _Things that help people, things that are interesting or funny.  That’s what I like about humanity._

“I studied poisons,” Chara said flatly. 

_And all their antidotes._

“Well duh, you can’t study how to poison someone without learning how to not poison them?  And herbalism is tricky.  It’s a really fine line between the amount of foxglove that’ll help an unsteady heart and the amount that will sodding kill a man.”

 _There we go,_ Frisk said, like they’d proved a point or something and argh this is why Chara never dealt with spirits. 

“Are you sure you’re a spirit of mercy?” they demanded.  “You’re not, like, a spirit of obfuscation, or evasive nonsense or something?” 

Well, their head had gone quiet awful fast. 

 _I’m not a demon_ , Frisk finally said, which okay, was totally not what Chara had asked.  If Chara didn’t know better they’d say Frisk almost sounded like they were trying to convince themselves.  The mage snorted.

“Obviously not.  And like, I may be an abomination, but that was true way before you came along.” 

Oh, there was a better reaction.  It felt strange, like someone was frowning at them reprovingly from inside their own head.  Like going cross eyed and scolding your own nose.  _I don’t like it when you call yourself that._

“Mage.  Possessed.  Using my unholy powers to corrupt one of the Maker’s first children.” Chara ticked the list off on their calloused fingers.  “I don’t know, sounds awfully like the tome definition of ‘abomination’ to me.” 

_You’re not corrupting me._

“You sure about that?  You’ve been kicking around my head, you know a lot about some not-so-nice things now.”  The thought actually made Chara want to panic if they thought about it too hard, so they didn’t.  When they’d first tried summoning in the darkness of the Circle library Chara hadn’t realized spirits could be so _innocent_.  Their stomach twisted at some of the things Frisk might have seen in their mind. 

 _I haven’t looked,_ Frisk said with a touch of haughtiness, and Chara relaxed.  The spirit’s next words were more hesitant _.  Did you really worry about that for so long?_  

“I don’t know.  I didn’t know if I could, could, lock memories away or whatever.” 

There was a beat of silence.  _Sometimes memories leak.  If they’re powerful, or at the forefront of your mind, or you’re dreaming._

Oh.  Great.   

 _But other than that I haven’t seen anything_ , Frisk said quickly.  _I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t violate your privacy like that!_

“Uh, yeah.  Thanks.”  An uncomfortably warm feeling blossomed in Chara’s chest.  Was this gratitude?  Chara decided they hated gratitude.  “Same goes to you, I guess, though I can’t really delve deep into your spirity past.” 

 _Thanks anyway_.  And…okay it felt weird but Chara could have sworn that Frisk beamed at them. 

Definitely, definitely uncomfortable.  How had this kid not been eaten by big scary Fade monsters or something?  “Yeah yeah, whatever.  Maker you’re such a wimpy piece of nug poop, I don’t know how you survived before you had me to look after your butt.” 

 _Spirits don’t have butts_ , Frisk thought primly. 

Chara shot upright and glared out over the falls.  “Okay, now that was definitely a joke!  Whoever told me spirits don’t have a sense of humor was a fucking liar!” 

 _We don’t_.  Same damningly prim voice.  Chara was getting better at telling the tone of their thoughts apart!  _Mortals are very educational though._

“I’m going to teach you puns!” 

_Nooooooo_

“Just you watch, this is gonna be fade-tastic.” 

_That was horrible!_

Chara grinned and picked themselves off the ground.  If they kept heading into the mountains it would be more difficult for their armored pursuit to keep up, and Chara was nothing if not light on their feet and whoa, speaking of feet.  Clear skin, whole and unblemished.  They blinked and poked at the shiny pink soles, unscarred, without a single lash mark to be seen.  Frisk did the mental equivalent of looking away and whistling nonchalantly as Chara gave an outright bark of laughter. 

...when had been the last time they’d laughed like that?

_Is something wrong?_

Chara wriggled their toes and allowed themselves a tiny smile.  “Naw, I’m good.”

They readjusted their robes and began to climb. 

“So hey, don’t dunk it till you’ve tried it, my puns are pretty a-mage-ing after all.” 

_How was that… oh!  You said mage!  And you’re a mage, making puns!_

Chara grinned. 

Screw the Circle teachers, this possession thing really wasn’t bad at all. 

**Author's Note:**

> Notes for those who are unfamiliar with the Dragon Age universe: 
> 
> The Circles- basically prisons for mages run by the Chantry and watched over by the templars; mages that exist outside of the Circles are called apostates. 
> 
> The Fade - the world of spirits, which lies just adjacent to the physical world of mortals; ideas are all powerful here, and spirits base their identity in human qualities such as Pride, Justice, Sloth, or Compassion; those with negative qualities are often categorized as demons, although the DA lore is a bit fuzzy on where the line between a spirit and demon lies. 
> 
> Abomination - a mortal who has been possessed by either a spirit or demon; although demon possession happens more frequently in universe and is often accompanied by physical disfigurement (bc ugly=evil as every good gamer knows), spirit possession is much rarer and is often misunderstood due to the Chantry's poor understanding of the Fade and its inhabitants. Spirits who possess a mortal are often trapped in the mortal world without a way to return home.


End file.
